Sonography of brain tumors in infants

Cranial sonograms of six children with brain tumors (one newborn, four infants, and one 4-year-old child) are presented. In four, sonography showed a large tumor mass and displacement of adjacent structures. In two, the tumors were demonstrated as areas of abnormal brain parenchymal echogenicity without obvious mass effect. Two of the tumors were diffusely echogenic, one was primarily cystic, and three were of mixed echogenicity. Areas of cystic degeneration and calcification within the tumors were well demonstrated. Correlation was made with cranial computed tomography (CT) in all patients; in each case sonography accurately demonstrated the location and extent of the tumor. Since sonography is used as a screening procedure in infants with a large head or an abnormal neurologic examination, sonography may be the first examination to demonstrate the tumor mass. However, since the sonographic features are not specific for neoplasms, further clarification of the process by CT should be recommended.